Saturday, February 27, 2010

The week before mid-winter break was a rough one. That Tuesday New Kid finally crossed the all important line I had hoped he wouldn't.

He got physical.

With me.

He had been working at a table with several other kids on an art project when apparently Eeyore said something he didn't like. So, New Kid started poking holes in Eeyore's project.

First I asked him to move back to his desk to work. Then I told him to move. New Kid got angrier and angrier. Then I told him he could work at his table or in the hallway. He continued to get angrier. Finally, he grabbed his art supplies, construction paper in one hand, scissors in the other, and shoulder checked me twice as he walked out the door!

At that point I had an internal conversation with myself. It went something like this, "What the hell?!?""Did he just do what I think he did?!?" "Did he really?" "Yes. He did!"

I thought New Kid was heading to the work table in the hallway, so I quickly and calmly had one of my other students go get the principal. (My classroom happens to be the closest one to the office.) I stood in the doorway to make sure New Kid was at the table, but instead he was already walking himself to the office.

Long story short, New Kid spent most of that afternoon in the office and had a day of in-school suspension on Thursday. That Friday, the day of our Valentine's day party, New Kid walks in and states that he has something in his backpack for me. And something for the principal. Great.

What is it?

A box of Valentine's Day chocolates.

No "Happy Valentine's Day," or "I'm sorry I'm a punk and cause you all sorts of problems." Just a, "Here," and the handing off of the red roses, heart-shaped box of chocolates from his backpack.

I guess you take an apology however it comes.

The funniest part of this whole incident is finding out what got New Kid so riled up in the first place. I guess Eeyore said New Kid's brother, "had a fat butt cheek." Yup, that's it. That's what started this whole thing...a large derriere, a big bootie, an oversized gluteus maximus.

Third graders are so weird.

(Here's me looking a little suspicious...To eat or not to eat, that is the question!)